Twilight finally thickened. Through the crowds of people walking harmlessly down the straight, blocked street, Akiko ran tirelessly in search of the truth. She searched for the truth of her feelings, was there any, or was it all just one illusion that she herself believed? In her hands she held a bag with a teddy bear peeking out. Noticing the outline of Yumiko standing in the middle of the road, the girl ran up to her. With a flustered and somewhat disgruntled look, Akiko looked questioningly at Yumiko, whose gaze expressed a single look of surprise.
"He said he went to the bathroom..."
Akiko, eagerly twisting her breath, squinted her eyes and lowered her head. Her face was half-covered by her long hair, and her lips pressed together as if she couldn't bear the heartbreak.
"Why are you always in my way?" she complained impetuously, causing Yumiko to feel a sharp surge of anger emanating from Akiko. "Perhaps you will let us–" the maiden could not control herself, but her anger was put to rest by the arrival of Tomoyuki, who called the maidens.
"Sato-chan! Are you all right? We were worried."
"Yeah… I'm fine."
"Fine then… The lights are about to start, Glenn-san is already taking suitable seats. We'll be seeing a fantastic view very soon!"
"Yes, you're right…"
"Come on, Sato-chan, this is what we all wanted!" glowed Tomoyuki earnestly, dazzling Yumiko's eyes with hope in happiness, and in unfulfilled wishes. "Together! We wished to meet the festival together!"
"Y-yes!" fascinated Yumiko, believing this hope coming from the guy's lips. Even if only a drop, the maiden let herself be led and believed in the desires. In the desires that kept moving forward, toward the light.
Gathered together, they walked to the bridge, where Glenn was waiting for them. Right in the middle of the bridge was a clear view of all the outlines of the star-covered Sumida River. That's where the lights were about to begin.
Impatience was taking over people's minds immaculately: they all wanted to behold the beginning of the festival. To see the dazzling eyes and the celestial blue of the lights that would dance over the face of everyone present.
Standing at the edge of the row of guys, Akiko's lips were full of sadness and showed genuine self-pity, but Ryou poked her on the shoulder, quietly saying that the moment would soon come. He stood beside Akiko and gazed with all his eyes at the river, the girl giggling dreamily.
After a pause, that moment came.
There was a flying explosion of bright particles flying upward, and a few moments later, glowing and multicolored fireworks blossomed, unfurling into the sky. Like flowers, they burst open with sparks of light and dissolved all the horrors of the people who were looking at them. Everyone was enthralled and thrilled by the sight, which in addition was illuminated by the sky with its bright stars.
Standing on the other side, and alongside Tomoyuki, Glenn quipped in a slow and hollow voice to ask him:
"You wanted to leave Yumiko and Ryou alone for Akiko to taste the pain, am I right? She doesn't even look happy and stunned now, looking at the fireworks. But in her eyes… it's impossible not to see the fading faith in her truth."
He was sure that others would not hear him, except Tomoyuki, who dutifully watched the dance of multicolored lights. His pupils reflected all the light of those lights, but the boy's eyes did not glimmer. They were frozen in one place.
"Who knows," Tomoyuki answered at last. "Dreaming like her is not my thing. People's dreams are shared only by... death. Aspiration, faith, and hope are all factors that absolve people of responsibility. After all, at least this way, they feel a little freedom."
Ryou looked back at Yumiko and saw her happy face shining with the smooth colors of fireworks, and inside himself he compared her delightfulness to a brilliant butterfly, whose wings were the color of blue peacock tails. The wings seemed to flutter behind the modest and fragile girl, whose senses even a bug seemed to be able to break. He was delighted by her beauty.
Akiko, who noticed the boy's admiration, slowly lowered the eyelashes and covered her face with hands. Ryou looked back at the sad look on the fearful girl's face and touched his hands to her lowered arm.
"Don't be afraid," whispered Ryou bitterly, "It will soon be over."
Akiko was not afraid of the lights at all, as Ryou thought, but of his desires, of which the boy himself had no idea. Everything was visible from the outside. Akiko inwardly called Ryou a fool.
Meanwhile, the bright fireworks continued to unfold, capturing people all around.
But after a time, the performance ended, and the river area completely subsided.